float 1 of 2

Definition of floatnext
1
as in to hover
to rest or move along the surface of a liquid or in the air a canoe floating down the river particles of dust floating in the air

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2
as in dock
a structure used by boats and ships for taking on or landing cargo and passengers the crew put the cargo on the float before heading back down the river

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of float
Verb
But since SpaceX floated the idea of becoming a US carrier, T-Mobile has been downplaying satellite connectivity and even suggested working with other satellite partners. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 23 Oct. 2026 Vincent Fiordilino was found floating face-down in an in-ground pool during a Super Bowl gathering at the family's home in Gilbert, Arizona, according to police. — ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Noun
Two miles downstream, a maintenance worker at a mobile home park saw a car float past and lodge against a bridge. — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026 After removing the old tile grout, apply new grout with a rubber float. — Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 15 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for float
Recent Examples of Synonyms for float
Verb
  • With a police helicopter hovering overhead, police started using tear gas and a water cannon in an effort to move the protesters back.
    — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Daytime temperatures hovered in the upper 40s to low 50s this week in Halifax, with overnight lows in the 30s, according to weather reports.
    — Deirdre Bardolf, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Its presence adds another reason to wander in, whether a visitor arrives with a collector’s eye or simple curiosity.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • During a quick shift, skaters have far less time for their minds to wander.
    — Jesse Granger, New York Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • His argument is the new development will just be a modernized version of the Seaquarium, which also had docks for boats, restaurants and event space.
    — Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The four-app dock at the bottom of the screen has been a staple of iOS since the beginning.
    — Eric Zeman, PC Magazine, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • One tanker is now sailing toward Poland through the Red Sea, according to Bloomberg, and at least 20 more shipments have passed through the Strait of Hormuz to other destinations since early September.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Needing 11 yards on fourth down to continue their drive and cut into a 23-7 Packers lead, Prescott narrowly avoided a sack before lofting a pass that sailed out the back of the end zone, not close to any particular Cowboys receiver.
    — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • There are roaming partners that exist that these telcos still rely on.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 17 Oct. 2026
  • While dinosaurs roamed the earth, giant monsters roamed the sea.
    — October 16, NPR, 16 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Newer signs taped to windows hope to stop the local wharf from becoming a corporate grain terminal.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Their transatlantic journey is slated to begin in Portsmouth, but once there Håkan loses sight of his brother in the crowds along the wharf.
    — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • After lingering in nearby waters for hours, the shark swam beneath an outer barrier net installed on the platform that night and reentered the waterway.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • This tiny wearable device could record thousands of individual neurons simultaneously as animals swim, play, explore, and interact naturally.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • For the past 15 years, Ishmael Butler and his cast of collaborators have drifted further and further into the outer reaches, deconstructing and reassembling hip-hop, jazz, and kosmische conventions into sprawling, proggy rhapsodies.
    — Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Meta stock plunged after the hyperscaler drifted into negative free cash flow, while China entered bear market territory with Alibaba’s stock dropping 6%, as investors questioned the return on its AI investments.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 22 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Float.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/float. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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